Typically, current fuel filters or other suction side filters with clear bowls in a dome-shaped design fail due to the gasket blowing due to applied pressure, and failure could also at a threaded connection between the clear bowl and the fuel filter shell. The threaded connection and the gasket are typically the weakest links within fuel filters and suction side filters and may result in device failure. As a result, the filter may fail with low burst and fatigue pressure during testing and/or use. Further, due to high temperatures, the filter material may creep and/or deform, which may allow outside air to enter into the filter system.
It is also noted that, due to the design of the current fuel filters, the clear bowl may directly interface with the servicing operations. For example, a HEX feature may be located directly on the clear bowl to allow the fuel filter to be installed and/or removed. However, since it may be difficult or cumbersome to remove the clear bowl from the fuel filter shell in order to properly service the filter, the filter must be removed from the system being filtered and held in a vice in order to remove the clear bowl from the filter shell. Due to the relative fragility and the brittleness of the clear bowls (which may be constructed out of, for example, a clear, amorphous polymer, which may be more brittle than conventional plastic), the clear bowl within the fuel filter shell may fracture or break while the fuel filter is being serviced due to, for example, torque applied to the clear bowl.
The threaded connection between the clear bowl and the fuel filter shell may also result in confusion during the servicing events. For example, the clear bowl may be over- or under-torqued while the fuel filter is being serviced or while the clear bowl is being removed, potentially resulting in device failure or leakage. Device failure may result in air being sucked into the fuel system. Excessive air in the fuel system may negatively impact the efficiency and performance of the engine. Additionally, the design of certain fuel filters with clear bowl may increase the overall height of the fuel filter, thereby affecting the packaging space and clearances relative to adjacent system components. This also has the potential to result in failure and/or degraded performance of the fuel filter system.